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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
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Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER FOURTEEN
HeatherThe third floor is quiet, and I move along the carpet like a mouse. I don't know where all the Silver Hunters have gone, but there have definitely been less of them the last day.I saw about twenty of them crossing the bridge and taking off in cars and motorcycles. Does that mean they're giving up on Hawthorn?I doubt it.I also doubt anyone is coming to save us.Even if I could get to my phone, it wouldn't matter. It's nearly impossible to get any service on this stupid island, in these stupid woods."... we need more boots on the ground,” a woman says from around the corner.My breath freezes in my throat, and I desperately search for somewhere to hide. Spotting an open classroom door, I slip through it.The room is dark, and I thankfully have the cover of night to keep me safe. Crouching low, I peek through the crack as two Silver Hunters turn into the hallway and stop. They both have their helmets off, and the woman has long, blonde hair that falls down her back.
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER FIFTEEN
WendyMy eyes pop open, and I hold my breath. Did a noise wake me? Did I sense someone outside of the barn?Or am I just now constantly living in this state of terror?I sit up slowly, not wanting to wake Alec. It's still dark out, and the deep silence suggests there's a lot of snow. We're warm between the hay and horse blankets, and I almost wish we could stay in here forever. Just the two of us, hidden away from the world.Alec sleeps on his side, his eyes moving under his closed lids. My chest tightens as I watch him. He's so handsome that it almost makes me want to cry.I reach out and stroke his hair, and his eyes flutter open. He smiles at me, and I can feel my heart beat faster."Hey," he whispers, his voice thick with sleep."Hey," I whisper back, my cheeks flushing.He turns onto his back, and I force myself to look away. If I stare at him too long, I'll make things awkward. Again.But I can't keep these feelings, these questions, inside of me forever. I need to kno
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER SIXTEEN
WendyWe manage to get off Scarlett Cove and onto the next island without any issues. As the morning passes us by, we head into this new town and check things out."I don't think we'll find any clues here," I mumble as Alec and I walk through the center of a farmer's market."No, but we'll find breakfast." He goes up to a stand selling baked goods, buys two croissants, and brings one over to me."Thanks," I say, before gratefully biting into it.The trip from Scarlett Cove to the next large island was less than an hour, but maybe it's the adrenaline from last night that's making me so ravenous.We keep walking through the farmer's market, observing everything. The stands are of all shapes and sizes, and some of them are built with old planks of wood, painted over with bright colors and retro designs. Winter squash, lettuce, and meats are everywhere, and the snow is padded flat from everyone's shoes.Alec and I blend in effortlessly, easily lost in the crowd of people strolling
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
WendyAnother library. Another dead end.So far, anyway."Nothing." I close the book louder than I mean to, and a woman at the next table over glares at me. I make an apologetic face and shrink into myself."Same here." Alec pushes his book away.The local library on the third island isn't much bigger than a house, and the number of books on local lore amounts to what can hardly be called a stack."Maybe this is pointless," I mumble. "Igor spent decades searching for the coin. What makes us think we can find it in a few days?"I drop my head into my hands and allow myself a pity party. I'm so beat down, so tired, so scared. I can't stop thinking about what might be happening at Hawthorn, and I wish I could wipe all of that from my mind.But I can't, of course. I won't be abandoning the people there.I'm just tired of how rough this is, and I want to complain for a little bit.Alec looks even worse than I feel, with bags hanging under his eyes. He slipped into the woods for
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
NoraThis is not how I saw my day going at all. I was supposed to go grocery shopping, then meet up with my book club later. Not host a safehouse for teachers who escaped a massacre at Hawthorn Academy.I’m glad the professors are here, though. I just wish everyone else was as well. Especially my niece, Wendy.Even though I’ve never met her, I think about her every day. I promised her father I would check in on her if she ever were to go to Hawthorn. Since I don’t even know where she is, I’ve failed horribly.“I hate sitting here waiting,” Davis Stills says from his spot on my living room couch. “Me too.” Marybelle paces the floor. The two teachers are both good friends of mine, and since the moment they arrived at my door, I’ve thanked the heavens for keeping them safe.“I do too,” I agree. “But it’s too soon to go out. The Silver Hunters could be anywhere.”A knock at the front door makes all three of us look up. Davis stands, and Marybelle goes to the closed curtains.
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER NINETEEN
WendyI raise my hands, summoning the energy that was with me in the barn. The energy that moved the tractor. I wait for it to barrel through me.Except ... nothing happens.I stare at my hands, which are absolutely failing me."Caught ya." One of the Silver Hunters bends down and grabs me by my jacket.I kick and thrash, but he has a tight hold on me.Until he doesn't.In the blink of an eye, he's on the ground, having been knocked over. Alec stands between me and the rest of the Silver Hunters, his chest heavy."Wendy," he says, "run."I'm already up, my shoes slipping in the snow. Alec races alongside me, the Silver Hunters hot on our tail."The woods," he puffs.We dart into the trees, headed in the general direction of the boat. We can't go there now, though. The Silver Hunters will follow us, and we won't have enough time to start that old motor and get away."We need to hide," I gasp.Branches smack and scrape at my face, and every other step is more like a stumbl
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY
WendyThe island's lights are still visible when I cut the motor."Was that intentional?" Alec asks. "Or did we just get trapped out here?""It was intentional. Since we keep seeing them on every island, they must have a boat, too, right? And I bet it's a lot faster and better than ours.""Good point.""Let's just wait a while and make sure they're not following us," I say. "It'll be easier to hide if we're not making any noise."We sit there quietly, the waves lapping against our boat's hull. After a few minutes, Alec clears his throat."Wendy, I ...""It's okay."He sighs with frustration. "No, it's not. I didn't want you to ... that's not a side of me I want you to see."I shake my head. "I'm a big girl. I can handle it."His shoulders slump forward. He's gonna feel down about this no matter what I say, and I hate that."Are you feeling better now?" I ask."I feel like a new person. The strength I have now is absolutely unbelievable."I lick my lips and watch a cargo
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
HeatherAfter pushing a wardrobe in front of the office to keep the Silver Hunters inside, I lead the way down the hallway, Gregory close behind me.One of his eyes is swollen shut, and he can barely see out of it. Which means I have to be the one leading this operation.At a corner, we pause and listen. Footsteps sound in the cafeteria. The Silver Hunters are close.I signal for Gregory to follow me, and we move as quietly as possible towards the cafeteria. As we approach, we can hear the Silver Hunters talking amongst themselves."It's a shame we couldn't catch them," one of them, a man, says. "We'll have to step up our game if we want to capture those two."I chew on my bottom lip. Who are they talking about?"She's too powerful," another Silver Hunter says. "You know who her—""It doesn't matter where she comes from," a woman snaps. "She's not too powerful for the coin."I peek around the corner and see three of them gathered around a table, maps and papers scattered eve
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Mated (Mortal, Book Two) EPILOGUE
TyrTaking a deep breath, I lace my fingers behind my back and walk over to the window. The city sparkles below my high-rise apartment.I suppose it's what some might call a beautiful scene. I wouldn't know. Nothing brings me pleasure anymore. I won't be happy until I have one thing in particular.It's been five years since I haven't been able to focus on anything but the Golden Coin. At this point I eat, sleep, and breathe it.And I almost had it too.Or at least that's what I thought on the islands.Gritting my teeth, I turn away from the window and storm down the hallway. The apartment is really three. After buying them, I had walls knocked down and hallways connected. On top of that, I also had the whole place soundproofed as well as outfitted with some other important features.Taking a key from my pocket, I unlock a door at the very far end of the apartment. Entering the dark room, I flick on a light. In the cell installed in the wall, my prisoner sits on his cot.He do
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
WendyAlec and I drive the motorboat to a small island nearby, where the lighthouse stands high up near the water. The fog that had been obscuring our vision has dissipated enough for us to make out the shape of the island, and we can see the light cutting through the night.We pull up closer to shore, and Alec ties off the boat. We make our way onto land, navigating rocks and looking around until we find a path leading up to the lighthouse.We walk along this path, my heart racing as I think about what my mother's voice said at the wishing well. Is this the door she was talking about?Or am I really going crazy? My mother is dead!But what if ... what if one of my abilities is being able to talk to ghosts?The thought sends shivers down my spine. I've never believed in ghosts before, but I can't deny the voice I heard at the wishing well. And if that's true, maybe my mother is trying to help me solve this mystery from beyond the grave.Alec looks over at me, sensing my unease
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Wendy"Alec!" I scream. "Get in!"More Silver Hunters emerge from the woods. It's like the entire island is infested with them.Releasing the man he has a hold of, Alec jumps into the boat. He turns away from me, wiping his face, but I see the blood there.I steer the boat away from the island, urging it to go faster. The Silver Hunters shout after us, but they're too late. Alec and I—and our little motorboat—are slipping away into the fog.It takes me a few moments to be able to breathe again. When I can, I look over at him. "You okay?" I ask.His expression is flat, almost like he doesn't know how to react. "I'll feel better soon."I nod. "That ... it speeds up your healing?"I hate that I can't even say what I just saw. I saw Alec tackle a man and drink his blood. Since it was a Silver Hunter, I don't feel sorry for the person, but I would be lying if I said I'm still not a little shook up.I'm also glad that Alec got what he needed, so there are a lot of emotions running
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Alec"You don't look so good." The Silver Hunter with a brown beard sniggers and tosses another log onto the fire.Another Silver Hunter scowls at him. "I don't know how you're in such a good mood. We still haven't found the coin. Now, we'll have to report back, and she'll be—""Don't worry about it." The bearded man grins at me. "Our friend here will help us out."It's hard to look tough with my arms bound behind my back, but I try my best. "I don't know where the coin is. If I did, I'd already have it.""And what about your friend?" He juts his chin at me. "I bet she'll tell us."I growl. "You leave her alone.""Or what?" He laughs again. "You'll kill us? You're so weak at this point you couldn't hurt a fly."He's right. Unfortunately. When I came to after falling over the bridge, I was already tied up. I tried to break free, but the strength wasn't there. The fall banged me up too much. I need blood to heal properly, and until I get that, I'm worthless.The bearded Silver
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
WendyMy hands shake as I untie the boat and clamber into it. The Silver Hunters haven't caught up to me yet, but I probably only have minutes to spare, if even that.Turning on the motor, I navigate into the open water. The tears turn to sobs, which start to shake my chest until I can hardly breathe.Damn those Silver Hunters. Alec never did a thing to hurt them, and yet they're constantly attacking us. They torched our school. Did who-knows-what to our classmates and teachers.And now Alec might die.And all because he's different. All because they're afraid of his power.I sniffle and wipe tears from my cheeks. It feels like there's a big hole in my chest and I'm going to fold right into it.I have to save Alec.First, I need help, though. The two of us together barely stood a chance against those Silver Hunters, so going up against them solo is pointless.But who will I go to?I glance over my shoulder at the vanishing island. How will I even find this place again? I do
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Wendy"Run," Alec breathes. He tugs at my jacket. "Run, Wendy."The Silver Hunters are already rushing us, their swords drawn. The bridge swings back and forth wildly, and I nearly lose my footing. Alec pulls me back, urging me in the direction that we came from.We're too slow, though, and they're too close.The first Silver Hunter reaches us, hatred filling his eyes. He must know who we are, because the second he and his buddies saw us, they charged.His sword comes down, but Alec ducks. The blade buries itself in the bridge's railing, where the Silver Hunter has to yank it back out.Searching deep within myself, I find that well of power and call on it. The energy is already there, rising to the surface. I rush into the man and knock him sideways, so that he tumbles over the bridge.With amazing speed and agility, Alec leaps over my head and lands on the next Silver Hunter. There's a sickening crack, and that's two enemies down.The bridge shakes against our frantic moveme
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
WendyA seagull's cry pierces the air, and I jerk awake. Gray morning light and fog surround the boat, and next to me, Alec snores lightly in his sleep.My heart racing, I look all around us. When did I fall asleep? The last thing I remember, Alec and I were looking at the stars. It was so peaceful; I must have just blinked into unconsciousness.And forgotten to put the anchor down.Which means we've been drifting all night.Terror closes its cold fingers around my throat. How far have we gone? Are we miles out into the sea?"No, no, no." I clutch the edges of the boat, but I can't see more than a few yards through this fog. "Alec." I shake him. "Wake up."Alec stirs, groggily rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What's going on?" he mumbles, squinting against the gray light."We're adrift," I say, my voice trembling. "We forgot to put the anchor down last night."Alec's eyes widen in alarm. "How far out are we?""I don't know," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "We coul
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
HeatherAfter pushing a wardrobe in front of the office to keep the Silver Hunters inside, I lead the way down the hallway, Gregory close behind me.One of his eyes is swollen shut, and he can barely see out of it. Which means I have to be the one leading this operation.At a corner, we pause and listen. Footsteps sound in the cafeteria. The Silver Hunters are close.I signal for Gregory to follow me, and we move as quietly as possible towards the cafeteria. As we approach, we can hear the Silver Hunters talking amongst themselves."It's a shame we couldn't catch them," one of them, a man, says. "We'll have to step up our game if we want to capture those two."I chew on my bottom lip. Who are they talking about?"She's too powerful," another Silver Hunter says. "You know who her—""It doesn't matter where she comes from," a woman snaps. "She's not too powerful for the coin."I peek around the corner and see three of them gathered around a table, maps and papers scattered eve
Mated (Mortal, Book Two) CHAPTER TWENTY
WendyThe island's lights are still visible when I cut the motor."Was that intentional?" Alec asks. "Or did we just get trapped out here?""It was intentional. Since we keep seeing them on every island, they must have a boat, too, right? And I bet it's a lot faster and better than ours.""Good point.""Let's just wait a while and make sure they're not following us," I say. "It'll be easier to hide if we're not making any noise."We sit there quietly, the waves lapping against our boat's hull. After a few minutes, Alec clears his throat."Wendy, I ...""It's okay."He sighs with frustration. "No, it's not. I didn't want you to ... that's not a side of me I want you to see."I shake my head. "I'm a big girl. I can handle it."His shoulders slump forward. He's gonna feel down about this no matter what I say, and I hate that."Are you feeling better now?" I ask."I feel like a new person. The strength I have now is absolutely unbelievable."I lick my lips and watch a cargo
